Acer has announced its curved-screen Predator 21 X gaming laptop is available. Is this the most powerful laptop on the face of the planet?
I once owned an ASUS G73 gaming laptop - this was a 17" behemoth and was, at that time, the most powerful computer I ever owned. I missed out on Dell's massive 20" XPS2010 laptop, famously noted for CNET's video of whether it was practical to use on the subway. That beast was short-lived, and was, despite its girth, a staid business-like "portable."
Upping the ante, Acer has announced its Predator 21 X which I can safely say is absolutely unlike anything else on the market.
We're talking about a 21" laptop ... specifically, a gaming laptop with all the power that requires - and on top, a curved-screen too! This is no ordinary laptop. Indeed, if I can get past my CFO that a "gaming laptop" means I don't really want to play games but to run lots of business-essential virtual machines and databases (wink ;) then I'll be lining up for one.
The Acer Predator 21 X is crammed is shipping this quarter, and boasts these specifications and features:
1. The Acer Predator 21 X is the world’s first notebook with a curved screen and integrates eye-tracking technology for an even more immersive user experience
2. The Predator 21 X features the latest 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor, 5 cooling fans and dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1080 GPUs in SLI for unmatched graphics performance
3. Making each Predator 21 X unique, Acer lets customers add a design, flag and laser engraved name to the notebook’s maintenance panel
4. Acer also updated its high-performance Predator 17 X gaming notebook with the powerful 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU
5. The Predator 21 X is the world's first notebook to offer a curved 21" IPS display with 2560x1080 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate
Featuring Windows 10, this laptop delivers a truly immersive gaming experience. The eye-tracking lets gamers identify enemies, aim and take cover all by simply gazing at objects on the screen in over 45 titles like Elite Dangerous, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and WATCH_DOGS 2. The curved screen also features NVIDIA® G-SYNC™ technology, ensuring smooth and sharp gameplay.
Beneath the notebook’s curved hood lies a powerful engine just waiting to be unleashed. The Predator 21 X (GX21-71) features dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphic cards in SLI and an overclockable 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7820HK processor for ultimate performance and responsiveness.
Supporting all this power is 64GB of DDR4-2400 memory, up to four 512GB solid-state drives in RAID 0 configuration (including 2 NVMe PCIe SSDs, which are up to 5x faster than SATA SSDs) and a 7200 RPM hard drive of 1TB capacity.
{loadposition david08}In addition, Killer DoubleShot Pro automatically picks the fastest network connection (Ethernet or wireless) and sends all high priority traffic over that interface while standard traffic is sent over the other. This ensures the highest priority traffic will always be put on the fastest and most reliable link. Thunderbolt 3 brings Thunderbolt to USB-C at speeds up to 40 Gbps.
Dissipating excess heat effectively for uninterrupted performance during intense gaming sessions, the notebook also features an advanced cooling architecture consisting of 5 system fans (including 3 ultra-thin AeroBlade metal fans) and 9 heat pipes. It also includes Acer DustDefender, which removes dust build-up and improves heat dissipation, and Acer’s CoolBoost app, that can be used to adjust the fans’ airflow to deliver extra cooling performance during heavy use.
Its full-sized mechanical keyboard features Cherry MX Brown switches, with individually programmable backlit keys, offering 16.7 million colour options. Customers can swap out the black W, A, S and D keys with teal ones, using the included accessory kit. A unique numeric keypad allows it to be flipped over and turned into a Precision Touchpad.
Making the action come to life, the Predator 21 X features a new 3-way (tweeter, midrange, woofer) audio design which produces Hi-Fi quality sound and is powered by 4 speakers (2 tweeters, 2 midranges) and 2 subwoofers to produce a full spectrum of sound.
The Predator 21 X works with Windows Hello, supporting secure and password-free sign-in by recognising your face. Skype for Business Certification ensures people can communicate with crisp and lag-free quality, and also allows for clearer, higher quality audio and a great Cortana with Voice experience on Windows 10.
Preloaded Acer PredatorSense software allows users to control and customise the whole gaming experience from one central interface, including overclocking, lighting and fan control. In addition, the included Xsplit Gamecaster software makes it easy for gamers to record and edit videos and live streaming on Twitch and Youtube channels.
Located just above the keyboard on the right side is a metal maintenance panel which provides access to the RAM modules and one 2.5-inch hard drive. The notebook ships with a blue dragon graphic on the panel, or it can be customised with a combination of graphics, nation flags and name engravings.
In addition, the first 300 notebooks will include a limited edition series number on the panel.
For safe transport and storage, each Predator 21 X ships with a custom ultra-durable hard-shell carrying case which securely stores the notebook and accessories.
If 21" is too much laptop for you, the Predator 17 X range also gets an upgrade with a higher performing CPU and GPU and will now include models with a 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7820HK processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU with 8G GDDR5X video memory.
Featuring overclocking, desktop grade components, a custom triple-fan cooling system with front air intake and a server-class vapour chamber, it is ideal for the most demanding games and running virtual reality (VR) devices. It’s overclocking lets gamers experience turbo speeds of up to 4.3GHz for the CPU; up to 1732MHz for the GPU, and up to 5.4GHz for VRAM. Immersive gameplay is delivered with buttery smooth visuals via the notebook’s 17.3-inch G-SYNC Full HD IPS (1920 x 1080) or UHD IPS (4K 3840 x 2160) display.
The Predator 17 X (GX-792) is also configured with an overclockable 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7820HK processor, up to 64GB of DDR4-2400 memory and an enterprise level NVMe PCIe solid state drive or three-SATA-SSD RAID 0 array for immense data transfer speeds. It features a Precision Touchpad supporting Windows 10 gestures, and also Skype for Business certification for crystal-clear audio communications.
Pricing is not yet available and will be set by region, but contact your local Acer distributor for more information.